Water quality is an issue that is of continuing concern. Despite the continuing efforts of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state and local water agencies, often water that is used for drinking, cooking, bathing, and the like is far from pure. For example, if water is supplied by a well, it could be affected by contaminants in the ground water. Even if water is supplied through a municipal water treatment facility, there are many contaminants that may slip through. Some of these contaminants are not considered harmful, e.g., they only do things like stain teeth, or give water an unpleasant odor, taste or appearance. To complicate things still further, the very chemicals that are put in water to kill harmful bacteria leave traces in the water, and make it unhealthy or unpleasant for bathing or drinking. Accordingly, home water filters are being used on a wide scale.
One common mechanism for home water filters includes granular activated carbon filtering: a form of activated carbon with a high surface area that absorbs many compounds including many toxic compounds. Water passing through activated carbon is commonly used in municipal regions with organic contamination, bad taste, odors, or the like.
Filter elements, including filter cartridges, are used in drinking water pitchers and attached to faucets to improve the taste of the water and/or remove contaminants. These elements are made of plastic housings with treatment media enclosed in them with porous tops and bottoms to allow untreated water to enter from the top and treated filtered water passing through the media to flow out of the element from pores on the bottom. These filter elements are very popular and are used and entirely discarded in substantial quantities every year. This is creating an environmental disposal problem of major proportions. It is an object of the present invention to create a device for reuse where only the treatment element is replaced, but the housing or cartridge is reusable.